 |
| Polishing boots/BootBlack
I found that two of my bois didn't know how to properly shine boots...heres a article I've found with very good instructions.......
Bootblacking 101
By Bob Ehrlich, Jr.
International Mr. Bootblack 1999
Supplies you will need:
Can of wax, matching the color of the boots to be done. I recommend Kiwi brand;
Polishing brush. Horsehair works best;
One can or bottle of saddle soap (or leather conditioner);
Source of water i.e. wet rags, water bottle, etc.;
Polishing cloth;
Terry cloth;
Source of fire i.e. matches, lighter;
Toothbrush; and
Dental Floss. (just kidding).
Getting started...
Roll up pants or leathers away from boot;
Remove laces (if they have them);
Clean boot well, using water and saddle soap. To do this, wet boot thoroughly, and apply saddle soap. Loosen dirt with a wet cloth or your hands, whichever feels more comfortable to you. And with a semi-wet cloth, remove the dirt and saddle soap from the boot. This is probably the most important step to doing a "Great Boot";
Using your source of fire, light your can of wax until it envelops the can. Then put out the flame by using the lid of the can - or your can just blow it out;
Emerge your fingers into the hot wax and rub the wax into your hands. You just want to coat your hands, but do not need to over coat them, as most of the wax that is applied to the boot will be removed later. You then transfer the wax from your hands to the boots, covering all the leather thoroughly, working it well into the leather. You need to pay a little extra attention to the creases in the boot, especially on the tops/fronts (the toe area) where most creases will form. One note of caution: Look at the stitching around the sole of the boot, some are black and some are white. If the stitching is black, dip your toothbrush into the wax and run the bristles along the stitching. Then, run your fingers along the stitching as well. If the stitching is white, not only do you NOT use your toothbrush, but you need to avoid the stitching completely! If you get wax on white stitching, you need to use a "clean" toothbrush with saddle soap to remove. DO NOT LET THIS HAPPEN!
Clean your hands, using saddle soap and water;
Using your polishing brush, brush the boot to a shine;
Use your polishing cloth and add the final touches to the shine. There are some boots that have very coarse, grainy characteristics. If this is the case, the polishing cloths will actually dull the boot, and you will be able to tell immediately. If this happens, rebrush the boot and skip this step;
Re-lace boots (if needed); and
Roll pants and/or leathers back to their proper positions.
|
 |